Making a name for herself

Flagler's Miller has made instant impact

It's just, with her last name being what it was, well, she was never the best.

More like third best.

Growing up and being a star high school basketball player in Southeast Minnesota meant always standing in line behind the Millers -- of which Jesse was not one. She was the other Miller.

The Millers -- twins Coco and Kelly -- were All-World high school players from nearby Rochester Mayo High School. They went on to star at the University of Georgia, appear in national publications and grab countless postseason awards.

Jesse Miller, meanwhile, took a more modest route.

After taking Caledonia High to the state championship her senior season, Miller -- the player of the year in her area as a junior -- went relatively unnoticed by recruiters.

Instead of accepting offers from a handful of NCAA Division II schools, Miller took her wares to tiny Bethany Lutheran College, a two-year school in Mankato, Minn.

She was a two-year starting small forward at Bethany. Still, the big-time schools did not call.

So, how the heck did she end up way down here? How did this small-town girl who was afraid to attend any sort of "big" school just pick up and move 1,400 miles from home?

Both good questions. Funny thing is, Miller seems to be the last one to ask.

"Um, I think my coach at Bethany talked to someone down here, and that was pretty much it," Miller said. "I was kind of nervous, but I just kind of wanted to get out and experience something different."

Bethany coach Lyle Jones, an acquaintance of former Flagler women's coach Hugh Lewis, contacted Flagler to tell of Miller. Lewis, now an assistant for the men's team, took Jones' word for it and signed Miller without ever seeing her play.

"I didn't really know what to expect coming down here," said Miller, a junior. "I just came to play and see what happens."

Though sometimes it appears Miller is one step ahead of her teammates, she insists there is cohesion. Certainly, the best is yet to come for the Saints, who are trying to get back to the NAIA national tournament, a place they've been the past two seasons.

Asked if she looks to shoot or score first, Miller offered an answer that's sure to make coach Chanita Olds smile.

"Win, I guess," she said. "It doesn't really matter. I think our team has a lot of talent."

For now, Miller will continue making a name for herself, though it matters to her little whether or not anyone knows her.